Loch Ness monster legend is geology's fault, says scientist

According to an Italian researcher, the infamous Loch Ness monster that appears according to the legend, alongside Earth tremors and and swirling bubbles from the Scottish lake of the same name, is the result of an active fault beneath Loch Ness.

Italian geologist Luigi Piccardi has credited the Great Glen fault system for the alleged sightings of the beast.

"There are various effects on the surface of the water that can be related to the activity of the fault," Piccardi told Italian newspaper La Repubblica adding that the times of the sightings have coincided with periods of seismic activity. "We know that this was a period (1920-1930) with increased activity of the fault. In reality, people have seen the effects of the earthquakes on the water."

The Great Glen fault runs for more than 62 miles and cuts the Scottish Highlands in two. According to Piccardi, the strike-slip fault, where rocks slide against each other with no vertical movement, is responsible for creating the phenomenon known as the Loch Ness monster.

The infamous creature rose to fame in the 1930's when Kenneth Wilson, a surgeon, reportedly photographed a serpertine head and neck popping out from the lake. Years later, however, the image was deemed a hoax.

Scientists have unsuccessfully tried to prove the existence of the monster for years even resorting to cameras strapped to dolphins and miniature submarines. No evidence of "Nessie" has surfaced to date.

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